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Paola
Giovanelli The charming smile behind the sound business of Ciao Travel By Margherita Calderoni |
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A
bright red and white
umbrella invites one to
cover all one's travel needs from the windows of
an elegant building in New Bond Street. It is the beckoning logo
of CIAO TRAVEL, the friendly
Italian travel agency founded 20 years ago by Paola Giovanelli, who is a
brilliant example of Italian female
entrepreneur in London. Pleasant
and attractive in person, kind and straightforward in manners, Paola
Giovanelli started her own business after having practiced in a travel
agency and she is now firmly established
as one of the most reliable operators in handling flights,
accommodation and transfers, specializing in tailor made Holidays and
Trade Fair Packages, plus tours on request for Art and Cuisine lovers.
With her trained staff , she guarantees experienced and personal service
adjusted to the new
requirements of the travel market, which has greatly changed its trend
and modality. “From
small industry almost on the basis of artisan job, now we go global on
the Internet” she says “ Although nothing can substitute the physical
presence and the human contacts: Internet is fine for advertisement but
you must be there when a client rings you up and expects to hear
a reassuring voice with a well grounded program - or even better
- a well suited program just for him. Actually people tend to follow a
routine, so once you select your kind of clients and make them happy,
they are bound to return.” People
have also changed mentality: in the beginning, travel agencies were
mainly booking agencies for
the Airlines, but now that flight
tickets can be bought directly from the Net, travel agencies work on
behalf of their clients providing them
with the best information
using the latest technology. So who uses a travel agency and who are the
best clients? “Young
folk and the over-sixty manage their own trips, mainly by Internet”
she answers “ but the corporate who has no time to waste surfing the
net is the perfect client: he
still needs an agency to plan his business trips and, if he is happy
with the service, comes back when it is time to organize a family holiday. Our
target is the businessman who travels back and forth to Italy (we do
specialize in Italian destinations)
and who takes holiday breaks 2/3 times a year: a frequent traveller who
expects a high standard of service, with whom we like to establish a
friendly and personal
relationship.” Most
of her 17000 regular clients belong to this selected category, 50%
Italians and 50% British, whose favoured destination appears to be Milan
for business, Tuscany for leisure and South Italy for Cuisine Classes,
in the wave of
the Italian gastronomy excellence. “Planning
a world tour is not the most difficult task “ she adds, ”satisfying
the most peculiar requirements of a client is definitely a more engaging
job, but that is where we come at hand when they need us. This is our
business and I like to do it well.” And
this is why people like her and her agency which, by the way, is no
longer her only commitment. Paola Giovanelli has recently taken over the
responsibility of succeeding
Dr Elisa Provini Walker in the leadership of "Il
Circolo, Italian Cultural Association" in
London which every year provides highly
appraised scholarships for worthy English students who, in this
way, are
allowed to learn the Italian Language, Culture and Environment in
Italian Universities. Moreover, her energy and enthusiasm in devoting herself to every job undertaken has made her appointed first woman Councilor for the Italian Chamber of Commerce in UK, commended by its President Leonardo Simonelli as a successful career woman Italian style, which means excelling at work without loosing womanly charm and family responsibilities. |
Ciao Travel in New Bond Street
Ciao Travel Ltd is celebrating 20 years of specialist travel services with the launch of a new website:
One Click to Italy:
76
New Bond Street, |
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